192. Visiting Relatives in Lungmen
Life in The City changed day by day, and everyone's journey had to continue.
After completing their mission and arranging things in The City, the group left The City and returned to their own worlds.
Of course, they could return at any time. Like Kyuushou, who would rush back to The City as soon as school was over, saying that as the representative of the leader, she had to manage The City well.
The others said they would let her do as she pleased.
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Karso City, Headquarters of the Magic Society.
In the composed office of Vice President Kahn Mia, Xiling was looking down at the exceptionally exquisite invitation in his hand.
"Vice President Kahn," Xiling looked up, his gaze falling on the vice president behind the desk, "What... is this for?"
Kahn's hands were interlaced, resting steadily on the polished mahogany table, his gaze calm behind his silver-rimmed glasses.
"A request. To represent the society at a... high-profile banquet."
"A banquet?" Xiling was even more puzzled.
Kahn leaned back slightly.
"The Pastor family, one of the top families in the Holy Grace Kingdom. Unfortunately, in recent years, as their pillar—that powerful figure—has aged, their prestige has diminished considerably, and the family's reputation has plummeted."
He paused, a subtle weight creeping into his voice.
"However, just recently, they suddenly announced the birth of a new Sequence 0 powerhouse within the family. This banquet is a public announcement, a warning to all who dare to challenge them, intended to assure the kingdom that the Pastor's strength remains, and their claws are still sharp."
Xiling nodded knowingly.
"Understood. Showing off their power, intimidating everyone."
"Our Karso City is also one of their targets. Theoretically, the president or I should be present to show respect, but…" Kahn looked at Xiling—not just at his excessively long, waist-length silver hair, but at a change in his inner aura.
Half a month ago, while Xiling was strong, Kahn had doubts about his ability to face top-tier power, but the young man standing before him now left him with no room for doubt about his power.
"The president is currently dealing with a tricky matter in the north and can't get away," Kahn stated bluntly.
"And I myself… am also tied up with urgent matters and can't spare the time."
Seeing the obvious "don't bother me with trouble" look on Xiling's face, Kahn offered his prepared bargaining chip:
"Don't worry, you won't have come for nothing. I'll prepare a reward that will satisfy you."
Xiling raised an eyebrow:
"Tell me what the reward is."
"You seem particularly interested in old materials, such as ancient gods, the ancient past, and the Overlords. Recently, you seem to have been looking for materials from other worlds, as well, am I right?" Kahn leaned back in his chair, watching Xiling.
Xiling nodded without any attempt to hide it; almost everyone who knew him knew he was looking for these kinds of materials.
"Very good." Kahn nodded slightly, revealing his true bait.
"If you complete this mission, upon your return, I, with my vice president's authority, guarantee that all the core information I have access to—regarding ancient gods, the ancient past, rulers, and even other worlds—will be open to you for review, as long as it doesn't involve the highest level of absolute sealing. I will also provide the necessary interpretations. How about this much as a reward?"
Xiling gasped.
"You must have some kind of conspiracy."
"Stop overthinking." Kahn sighed softly, gesturing to the comfortable armchair beside the desk.
"Sit down. Listen to the details of the mission and the potential risks before you decide."
Xiling sat down as instructed.
Kahn gathered his thoughts, his expression becoming extremely serious:
"First, the Pastor family's claim of a new Sequence 0… its authenticity is highly questionable."
Xiling was taken aback:
"Huh?"
"The probability of this news being true is low," Kahn said solemnly.
"The premise is that this mysterious, powerful being is strong enough to interfere with our magic society's energy resonance monitoring array covering the entire southern district."
"The magic society must have absolute control over the movements of top-tier powerful individuals. Because if such an entity acts out of control, the resulting disaster will be devastating. Even if those powerful individuals themselves are wary of the magic society, what if a reckless madman appears? The consequences… are immeasurable."
"Therefore," Kahn tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, "the magic society has deployed sophisticated… Dense detection devices. They're like an invisible spiderweb, constantly capturing those energy fluctuations—signature signals of Sequence Level 4 and above."
Xiling couldn't help but interject, "Can they hide it?"
Kahn's lips curled into an almost cold smile:
"The most powerful violent apparatus itself represents the ironclad laws of order. When the Society grants them respect, they'd better accept that courtesy."
"Looking back at history, before the array was established, the Society's methods were more direct—to shackle them. As for resistance…"
His voice was resolute, "Unless an Overlord descends, it's all in vain."
The topic refocused on the Pastor family.
"If this news is false," Kahn's tone softened slightly, "it's nothing more than a clumsy gamble by the Pastor family, which will only hasten their decline and turn them into a laughingstock."
His tone shifted abruptly:
"But! If it's true! That means a completely unknown super-strong individual with Sequence 0 power has silently infiltrated the heart of the kingdom's southern region without any warning! Their purpose? Their identity? Is there a shocking conspiracy behind them? Everything is shrouded in a thick fog of the unknown! This level of uncontrolled variable is itself the most deadly threat to the existing order!"
A knowing glint flashed in Xiling's eyes:
"So, Vice President, you want me… to find that possible Sequence 0 at the banquet, and then find a way to control them and bring them back?"
Kahn's cold face looked at Xiling with a puzzled expression: "…What are you thinking?"
"Of course, this kind of thing should be handled by others."
"Then why is your reward so generous?" Xiling asked curiously.
Kahn sighed.
"Because this mission itself is very risky."
"Sending you there is essentially putting you at risk that you shouldn't have to bear."
"I'm telling you all this to make you understand how dangerous this mission is."
"If you agree, the deal will proceed; if you don't, then I'll find another way."
Xiling would definitely had to accept this deal; he had no reason to refuse the rewards. But there was one thing he was curious about.
"I don't really care, but I'm curious, what are you going to do?"
Kahn's brows furrowed again upon hearing this. He was silent for a moment, seemingly weighing the level of secrecy against the necessity of informing him. Finally, he lowered his voice and slowly uttered four cold words:
"The Church of the Ancient Gods."
"Another unfamiliar term, but just from the name, I know it's related to the Ancient Gods," Xiling thought silently to himself.
"That's right." Kahn noticed the change in his eyes.
"It's closely related to those ancient taboos. So, Xiling, how much do you know about the ancient gods themselves?"
Xiling scratched his cheek.
"I only know that they are powerful species that existed in ancient times, and they will never die. As long as there are living beings in the world who remember their names and legends, they will never truly perish."
"Your basic concepts are correct," Kahn affirmed first, then his expression suddenly became extremely solemn.
"But what I'm about to say is top secret! You must swear on your life and your integrity that you will not reveal a single word to anyone unrelated! Can you do that?"
"I promise you," Xiling responded just as seriously.
Kahn's tense jawline relaxed slightly. He leaned forward, his voice low:
"The Ancient Gods we know, in essence… are not powerful ancient creatures, but rather manifestations of some core rule, foundation of existence, or even the very entity of this world."
"For example, this vast land beneath our feet, bearing all living things—its foundation, its pulse, its very source of existence—is itself an Ancient God in eternal slumber! A living world yet to awaken!"
Xiling pinched the bridge of her nose hard: "?????? That's a bit of a leap."
"Unbelievable? Absurd?" Kahn shook his head.
"But this is the closest truth to the essence of the Ancient Gods, as the Society believes. Strictly speaking, they are not apex predators, but rather embodiments of the world's invisible rules, core concepts, and even parts of its entity."
Kahn smiled silently. His reaction when he first learned these things was almost identical to the others.
"Alright, that's enough about the nature of the Ancient Gods for now." Kahn stopped short, steering the conversation back to reality.
"Let's continue with the Church of the Ancient Gods."
"As the name suggests," Kahn's tone was filled with cold sarcasm and undisguised killing intent, "a group of twisted and insane cultists who attempt to awaken the Ancient Gods who form the foundation of the world through various blasphemous, bloody, and unimaginable dark rituals."
"Hmm... have they ever succeeded?"
"Never!" Kahn's answer was resolute.
"Never in the past! And never at the present!"
"Never in the future!"
Looking at Kahn's serious face, Xiling nodded: "Let's talk about something I haven't heard of."
"...The following is paid content."
Xiling rolled his eyes. He'd piqued his curiosity and then gone without responsibility, had he?
"Stingy, fine, I'll take this deal."
Xiling placed the invitation into his Starry Cloak.
Finally, he looked at Kahn and smiled.
"Anything else you want to remind me of?"
"Remember the time, 15 days later."
Kahn glanced at Xiling a few times before saying, "Dress up nicely, maybe you can win the hearts of those young ladies."
Xiling gave him the middle finger without hesitation and was about to leave when Kahn's voice came again.
"By the way, the magical item I promised you last time has arrived."
Xiling stopped and turned to look at the box that had appeared on his desk.
"Open it and see," Kahn gestured.
Xiling opened it without hesitation and looked at the contents of the box with some confusion.
It was a short sword.
Xiling picked up the sword and asked.
"What's this?"
Kahn shrugged.
"I don't know what it's about. There should be an instruction manual inside."
"I'll read it when I get back."
Xiling tossed everything into her Starry Cloak and quickly left the magic society.
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"Cardinal Lemuen, are you sure you want to apply for a week's leave?" A Sankta clerk double-checked the leave slip in her hand.
"The reason is… to visit your sister in Lungmen?"
Standing before the desk, Lemuen wore an impeccably gentle smile.
"Yes, thank you."
"…Okay, approved." The clerk stamped the form for confirmation.
Lemuen walked briskly out of the office, her heartfelt joy almost overflowing.
A figure, visible only to her, followed beside her.
"Are you sure… you're just going to see your sister?" Xiling's voice carried obvious doubt.
Hearing this, Lemuen simply turned around to face him, walking backwards as she retorted, "Then what else do you think I could do in Lungmen?"
"I bet it's mostly related to Rhodes Island," Xiling stated the obvious.
Lemuen didn't deny it, but rather challenged him, "Then guess why I went to Rhodes Island?"
"That's a bit difficult for me," Xiling dodged a passing employee, "but if you need a standard answer, I can read your mind, or glimpse a fragment of the future."
"Oh my," Lemuen immediately put on a pleased and impressed expression, "To be able to say something like that so naturally! Xiling, you've really grown a lot!"
"Hey!" Xiling rolled his eyes dramatically.
"What's with that look on your face, like a mother seeing her son succeed?"
Remian spread her hands, her smile becoming even more loving.
"I can be your mom too~ Want to try?"
"If you put it that way," Xiling pouted, "I can also let you call me… never mind, I won't argue with you about that, it's childish."
However, Lemuen clearly wasn't going to let him off the hook. She took a step closer and teased in a low voice, "You wouldn't be thinking of… Dad, would you?"
Xiling: "...I didn't say that."
"Speaking of which," Lemuen turned back to walking normally, "this trip will just be the two of us."
"Why, you have a lot of people accompanying you when you visit relatives?" Xiling teased.
"No need for that. By the way, are you ready?" Lemuen turned to look at Xiling beside her.
"Ready for what?" Xiling didn't immediately understand.
"Of course, I'm preparing to meet my family!" Lemuen grinned like a cat that had just stolen a fish.
"Have you thought about how to get along with my Lemuel? Hmm?"
Xiling: "…"
"…Do you think she likes money?"
Lemuen chuckled, quickly covering her mouth with her hand:
"Pfft…Theoretically, the allure of money works on most people."
Xiling's eyes lit up instantly:
"That means it's feasible!"
"Hard to say," Lemuen immediately poured cold water on the idea, her smile carrying a hint of anticipation.
"What if Lemuel sees you giving her money and thinks that 'I've been tricked by some rich, gullible bad guy?' She might grab her guard gun and rush over…what then?"
"…Don't scare me."
"Why are you nervous?" Lemuen took Xiling's hand.
"If you're nervous, hold my hand. When Lemuel comes to pull you, don't let go. It's to show our sincerity."
"You're making me even more nervous now."